Social Protection (MSc)

April 2026

April 2026: Social Protection Insights

We are happy to publish the nighteenth edition of our LinkedIn newsletter, "MSc Social Protection Insights," dedicated to providing valuable and engaging content to our esteemed community of social protection professionals, students, lecturers, and enthusiasts. This newsletter aims to provide insights into the life at H-BRS, and is a platform for sharing news around the Master's programme. Subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter community and stay connected with like-minded individuals who share a common goal of advancing social protection practices worldwide.

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📢 DAAD Helmut-Schmidt-Programme Scholars attend DIFIS International Scientific Workshop in Bremen

On 12 -13 February 2026, nine DAAD Helmut-Schmidt-Programme scholars from the 2024-25 cohort, accompanied by Prof. Dr Simona Helmsmüller , participated in the International Scientific Workshop “Public Opinion and Social Policies: Legitimacy and Acceptance of the Welfare State and Specific Life Course Policies” in Bremen. The event was hosted by the Deutsches Institut für Interdisziplinäre Sozialpolitikforschung (DIFIS) at the Haus der Wissenschaft.

The workshop convened highly relevant representatives from academia, politics and practice across Europe to discuss how public opinion shapes the design, reform, and legitimacy of welfare states in the context of demographic ageing, migration, labour market flexibilisation, and the green transition. Moving beyond purely institutional analyses, discussions focused on how citizens’ perceptions and attitudes shape the legitimacy of social policies in a changing welfare landscape. Across two days, 24 research papers were presented in eight parallel sessions covering migration and immigration policies, family and care policies, pension systems, labour market reforms, eco-social and redistributive policies.

For the participating students and faculty, the workshop offered valuable exposure to current empirical approaches, comparative perspectives, and methodological debates- providing impulses for ongoing research projects and upcoming Master’s theses. For students in particular, it was an oppertunity to engage with practitioners and see how theory and survey research translate into real-world social protection policies, showing how public perceptions shape policy implementation and acceptance. The programme extends its gratitude to the DAAD German Academic Exchange Service for supporting this academic exchange.

📢 Application Period for the Winter Semester 2026/2027 Open until 31 May, 2026 for Applicants without Visa Requirement

Applicants who do not require a visa, including students from Germany and those who already hold a valid residence permit, may continue to apply until 31 May 2026 via the university’s online application portal Apollo. Join our upcoming Q&A session to get your questions answered and prepare for the next steps!

Date: 4 May, 2026
Time: 13:00-14:00 (CEST)
Link: https://h-brs.webex.com/h-brs-en/j.php?MTID=m9f887d52c86661ef63de97f5fda19353

Prior registration is not required. You can simply participate via the following WebEx link. For more information, please consult our website: Access requirements and online application Social Protection

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📢 Farewell to Dr. Albert Opoku Frimpong

Dr. Albert Frimpong, visiting postdoctoral researcher funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation , has completed his one-year stay at the Department of Social Policy and Social Security Studies. Under the supervision of Prof. Dr Simona Helmsmüller , Dr. Frimpong's research focused on health financing and the pursuit of universal health coverage in Sub-Saharan Africa. His work brought valuable comparative perspectives to the department's ongoing project examining the health insurance system in Pakistan.

Dr. Frimpong holds a PhD in Economics from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana, and currently serves as a lecturer at the University of Professional Studies, Accra. During his fellowship, he contributed significantly to research regarding the efficiency of health expenditures and their implications for achieving the sustainable development goals. In addition to his research contributions, Dr. Frimpong taught Submodule 4.1 Statistics in the Master’s programme, helping students develop robust analytical skills in quantitative methods.

Dr. Frimpong’s stay has strengthened the academic exchange between the department and its partner institutions in Ghana and ongoing scientific discussions on global health and social protection systems. We wish him the very best in his future endeavors!

📝 Summer Semester Begins

Following the semester break, students have started the summer semester with Module 5: Social Protection Financing and Module 7: Social Protection Management, alongside additional learning opportunities offered through the Studium Generale courses at H-BRS .

Module 5, taught by Prof. Dr Krzysztof Hagemejer (Honorary Professor at H-BRS) and Charles Crevier (ITC-ILO) , focuses on fiscal space, affordability, and sustainability, while introducing advanced tools, financing techniques, and actuarial practices. Students explore topics such as public expenditure patterns, resource mobilization strategies, and methods to assess the long-term viability of social protection systems.

Module 7, led by Prof. Dr Maria Klara Kuss , Prof. Dr Markus Loewe (IDOS), and Shez Farooq (World Bank), shifts towards implementation and management. It covers the delivery of social transfers and insurance, as well as information management systems, with a strong focus on real-world challenges such as enrolment, payment systems, and data governance.

As part of Module 10, Studium Generale, students are also invited to participate in additional courses offered by the Language Centre, focusing on soft skills and professional development, such as:

VPC.1: Communication and Teamwork offers training in Intercultural Communication and Diversity Skills and Working in an International Context by Eileen Küpper, as well as Negotiation & Conflict Resolution in Teams by Beate Roggenbuck.
VPC.3: Professional Development by Eva Goletz offers workshops on Improving Presentation Skills, Job Applications, and Preparing for Job Interviews and Assessments.

Together, these modules equip students with both technical and operational skills to design, finance, and effectively manage social protection programmes across diverse country contexts.

📊 Key Updates from Faculty Research

Prof. Dr Maria Klara Kuss, Professor in the MSc Social Protection programme, works on gender, inclusion, and social policy, with a focus on equitable and context-sensitive social protection systems. Here are some highlights from Dr. Kuss’s recent research and publications:

Gender-transformative social protection (Policy and Society, with Tara Cookson), examining how “transformative change” is understood across different actors in global social protection debates.
Academic paper Gender and intersectional barriers to child immunization: findings from qualitative research (International Journal for Equity in Health), highlighting how gender, age, marital status, and religiosity shape access to child health services.
Working paper Exploring linkages between LGBTI+ inclusive social protection and Comparative and International Education (CIES Conference 2026, San Francisco), addressing barriers and intersecting vulnerabilities faced by LGBTI+ people in accessing social protection systems.

Get to Know Our Students, Lecturers & Alumni

Student Spotlight: Haruna Badjie

Haruna Badjie , a student of the 2024-25 batch, brings a strong background in social work and development studies, with over 15 years of experience at the Social Welfare Directorate under the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Welfare in The Gambia. His research focuses on gender-responsive, child-sensitive, and shock-responsive social protection systems. Having worked on World Bank–supported social protection projects and received in-service training in child rights, project management, and the prevention of gender-based violence, Mr. Badjie is particularly interested in how adaptive social protection policies can strengthen the resilience of women, children, and vulnerable households in his home country